Written by guest blogger Bethany Bowen
At the age of thirteen, I was primarily concerned with what outfit I should wear to school the next day, if my latest crush reciprocated my feelings, and how soon until school let out for the summer. At the age of thirteen, Brittany Bergquist was busy co-founding a nonprofit organization that has raised over $1 million in donations.
In 2004, Brittany and her younger brother Robbie started Cell Phones for Soldiers with just $21 from their piggy bank. The organization sends pre-paid phone cards to soldiers in war zones by seeking out unwanted cell phones and selling them to a recycler for $5. To date, over 500,000 soldiers overseas have received calling cards. Brittany said this about the charity’s mission, “We take for granted our ability to call home and speak to our families. The troops don’t do that. They appreciate what we’re doing. That’s what sparks us to do more.”
Brittany and Robbie have received national press and recognition for their success. Together, they were featured on CNN’s “Young People Who Rock”, and they won Microsoft’s “Above and Beyond Youth Leadership Award”.
What started as a way to show their family’s appreciation to people serving our country, turned into a program bigger than any of the Bergquists could have imagined; they hope to raise more than $9 million in the next five years for future programs. To learn about ways to donate or show support, visit the Cell Phones For Soldiers Web site by clicking here.
And for ways to give back by shopping for your favorite cause, visit Uptown Liz.
3 comments:
Nice article as for me. I'd like to read a bit more about that topic. The only thing I would like to see on that blog is a few photos of some gizmos.
David Karver
Block phone
Great effort, good to hear that such is happening.
i have always wanted to start something doing good to many people..it's just that it's not easy where to begin..good for her she was able to start it at a very young age
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